Sadly, there are the obvious difficulties with the direct-entry (CPM) route. Direct-entry midwifery is illegal in ten states and not regulated in several others. I've read countless stories of experienced, competent midwives being arrested and tried for "practicing medicine without a license". My home state is one of the illegal ones, and as much as I would like to be a midwife who fights for the cause of direct-entry practice in the United States, I know that I would be afraid to be subjected to such horrendous persecution. In the states where it is legal, the majority of CPMs only attend homebirths, and while a homebirth practice is my ultimate goal, I also want the chance to work in birth centers, clinics for underserved populations, and abroad. CPMs who own/run birth centers are few and far between and I've never heard of a CPM being able to work at a clinic. Working abroad is tricky since nearly every country has different educational requirements, but while the CNM may be recognized by some (DSF, Projects Abroad, New Zealand), the CPM does not seem to be recognized anywhere outside the US. I also don't know which state I'm going to settle down in, and don't want to be limited by where I can practice. So, in the end, for me, it only made sense to pursue CNM licensure.
As I already have a BA in French, I discovered that I could either attend an accelerated BSN program, followed by an MSN program, or Masters-Entry Program which combines the two. In the end, it made the most sense for me to start with the accelerated BSN. As a French major, I didn't spend a lot of time in the science departments, so I had a lot of prerequisites to fulfill before applying. Although prerequisites vary a little from school to school, most include the following: anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology, chemistry I and II, psychology (general and developmental), and statistics. I've spent the past two years working really hard on all of these classes, and I'm nearly done.
This semester I'm trudging away through organic chemistry, developmental psychology, and statistics. Although I have loved all of the other science courses so far, I have to admit that the organic chemistry is not exactly one of them. Still, it's all going to be worth it because last month I found out that I was accepted into Binghamton University's May 2011 accelerated BSN program! I was so relieved. I'm also really, really excited to start. Binghamton has an excellent reputation, and everyone that I've spoken to has loved the nursing program. While I'm there, I also plan to continue my work as volunteer doula, which I've been doing for the past year or so.
What will be next step after that? It's hard to say. I'll probably work for a year as a nurse to save some money, but I may also dive right into graduate school. I'm currently leaning towards Frontier www.frontierschool.edu because I've heard so many great things about it. All I can say is I feel blessed to have discovered my passion at a young age, and to have the support of my family, friends, and amazing husband-to-be.
Lastly, I would like to dedicate this blog to my incredibly strong and beautiful mother. Her strength and her intuition that birth can and should be a natural, uninterrupted process helped her through three unmedicated, empowering births. Her wisdom and guidance, particularly around the subject of childbirth, is perhaps my biggest influence in wanting to be a midwife. I am forever grateful to be her daughter. Thanks mama. : )
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| Mama and me (1985) |
